It Takes More Than Hard Work: Be Smart and Build Connections.

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To be honest, I’ve come to realize that hard work alone is no longer enough—at least not in today’s world. Maybe it worked better in the past, but these days, it takes more than just working hard to get ahead.

First of all, I think it’s important for a person to be smart and strategic. When I say smart, I don’t just mean book smart—I mean someone who can think critically, adapt quickly, and know how to navigate different situations. And by being strategic, I mean knowing where to put your energy, what skills to build, and how to position yourself in order for you to be able to achieve success.

Let me give a simple example from my own experience. I have some friends in school who are studying computer science. These guys are brilliant when it comes to exams—they study hard and always pass with flying colours. One of them is even someone i know. He’s a very hardworking student and always does well in class. But recently, during their final year project, they were asked to build a website. And guess what? He had no idea how to build it. He had to give the project to someone else who could do it for him and paid them off.

Now here’s the thing: despite all his hard work in school, he was never smart enought to build the practical skills that really mattered outside of the classroom. But someone else who may not have studied as hard but was smart enough to learn coding along the way ended up doing the job for him. That just goes to show that being hardworking is great, but if you’re not smart about where you put that energy, it might not take you far.

Another big one i have noticed, even on platforms like Hive—is having the right connections and right people around also helps. You can be extremely hardworking and consistent, but without the right people around you, it can feel like nobody sees your efforts. That’s why I believe building the right relationships is just as important as working hard. When you connect with people who believe in you or are in the right positions, they can open doors you couldn’t have opened on your own.

I have seen it happen in my own family. When my sister was job hunting, she didn’t have to go through the usual stress. My mum simply reached out to her sister’s husband, who knew someone at a company. Before we knew it, my sister got the job—just like that. It wasn’t even that she wasn’t qualified, but that connection made everything easier.

So yeah, hard work is good. It builds discipline, and it helps you grow. But in today’s world, you need more than that. You need to be smart, know what skills are relevant, and be willing to build strong connections. Because the truth is, sometimes being seen and recognized isn’t about how hard you’ve worked—it’s about being in the right place, with the right people, at the right time.

And that’s just the reality of the world we live in now.

Thanks for reading.

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